Admiral Chester R. Bender, former Commandant
of the Coast Guard (1970-1974), and the man most remembered by the Coast
Guard for adopting its distinctive "Bender Blues" uniform, passed away
July 20, 1996, in Moraga, California following a long illness. He was 82.
Admiral Bender is survived by his son, Mark A. Bender, of Lafayette, California,
several nieces and nephews, and a sister-in-law. Funeral services were
held August 7, 1996 at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
with full military honors. He is buried there next to his wife, the former
Annamarie (Mollie) Ransom, who died in 1992.

What follows are biographical excerpts about
ADM Bender from an article by Judy Thiede Wade published in The Courier,
Plant City, Fla. newspaper earlier this year, prior to his passing.

Admiral Chester R. Bender, who served as the
Coast Guard's 14th Commandant (1970-1974), always believed in giving back
to his community and wanted to give the people of his hometown of Plant
City, Florida something to remember him by. Just prior to his death, he
donated several of his military artifacts to the East Hillsborough Historical
Society for display at the high school. The items are temporarily housed
in a display case at the Plant City City Hall.

"Since my primary interest in preserving history
is through family history, I'm extremely proud for the Bender family to
be able to bring Admiral Bender's Coast Guard history back to his hometown
of Plant City," said Shelby Bender, wife of Admiral Bender's great-nephew,
Andy.

Born March 19, 1914 in Burnsville, West Virginia.,
Bender's family moved to Plant City in 1925. He graduated from Plant City
High School and entered the Coast Guard Academy in 1932. In 1936, he became
the first Floridian to graduate from the Academy, earning a bachelor of
science degree and commission as ensign. He spent his initial duty time
as a line officer aboard several cutters and eventually earned his aviator
wings. Then-Lieutenant Commander Bender served as commander of an air-sea
rescue squadron from June 1943 to December 1944. After being promoted to
rear admiral in 1964, he was assigned as Superintendent of the Coast Guard
Academy the following year. In 1970, he was nominated by President Richard
Nixon to serve as Commandant.

Admiral Bender's awards included the Bronze
Star, Legion of Merit, and two Distinguished Service Medals. But he is
perhaps most proud of and best remembered today for his creation of the
"Bender Blues" Coast Guard uniform. Shortly after taking over as Commandant,
he formed a board of officers to design a new, universal formal uniform
that would distinguish Coast Guard officers from Navy officers. Before
the change, Coast Guard uniforms consisted of a white shirt, black tie
and a black, double-breasted jacket and were a modification of Navy attire.
Bender cited two main reasons for pushing for the change. First, he wanted
to create a distinctly different look from that of the Navy. In doing so,
he wanted to solidify the fact that the Coast Guard was a separate organization.
Secondly, he wanted the new uniform to be more contemporary in style. The
redesigned uniform is still worn by Coast Guardsmen today.
Courtesy
of the United States Coast Guard

Chester R. Bender was born March 19, 1914,
at Burnsville, WV, the son of John I. and Inez (Harbert) Bender. He received
elementary and high school education in Burnsville and Plant City, FL,
where he moved with his family in 1925.

He was appointed a cadet and entered the Coast
Guard Academy in New London, CT in 1932. He was a member of the Academy
boxing squad for two years. During his first class (senior) year, he was
gun captain and served as humor editor of "Tide Rips", the cadet yearbook.
On June 8, 1936, he became the first Floridian to graduate from the Coast
Guard Academy when he received his Bachelor of Science degree and commission
as Ensign.

Ensign Benderís initial duty was as a line
officer aboard the cutters MENDOTA and BIBB, both on Atlantic patrol. In
1938, he was transferred to the cutter OSSIPEE, operating in the Great
Lakes. During this tour he met his future bride, Annamarie Ranson of Sault
Ste. Marie, MI. They were married September 1, 1939.

He was selected for flight training in 1939,
and in June of that year began training at the U.S. Naval Air Station at
Pensacola, Fla. A year later he received his aviatorís wings and was assigned
to flight duty at the Coast Guard Air Station at Elizabeth City, N.C. With
the start of World War II, Lieutenant Bender flew anti-submarine patrols
out of Elizabeth City.

Lieutenant Commander Bender served as commander
of an air-sea rescue squadron at the Coast Guard Air Station at San Diego,
CA, from June 1943 to December 1944. He was promoted to the rank of Commander
halfway through that tour of duty. Commander Bender then served as air-sea
rescue advisor and liaison officer with the Far East Air Force Headquarters
in the Philippines for the remainder of the war. He was awarded the Bronze
Star Medal for this service.

In December 1945, he was assigned to Coast
Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC as executive officer of the Air-Sea
Rescue Agency. The following September he became pilot and personal aide
to the Commandant of the Coast Guard. In June 1950, Commander Bender became
executive officer of the Coast Guard Air Station at St. Petersburg, FL.
Three years later he vent to Traverse City, MI to command the air station
there.

He returned to Headquarters in June 1955 to
head the War Plans Division. He was promoted to Captain in 1958 and assumed
command of the Coast Guard Air Detachment at Barbers Point, HI. The following
year, after 20 years in aviation, he returned to sea in command of the
311-foot cutter BERING STRAIT, operating on ocean station duty out of Honolulu.

In July 1961, he began a one-year assignment
as mobilization and readiness officer on the staff of the Western Area
Commander in San Francisco, Calif. He then returned to Washington, DC as
Chief of the Administrative Management Division and later Chief of the
Program Analysis Division at Coast Guard Headquarters.

In January 1964, President Lyndon Johnson nominated
Captain Bender for flag rank and on July 1 of that year, he was promoted
to Rear Admiral. At that time, he took command of the Ninth Coast Guard
District headquartered in Cleveland, OH. A year later he was assigned as
Superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy, relieving Rear Admiral Willard
J. Smith, who later became Commandant of the Coast Guard.

During his two years as Superintendent, Admiral
Bender continued the Academyís major construction program with Roland Hall
Field house, one of the East Coastís most complete and modern athletic
facilities nearly completed during his tour. He also established the U.S.
Coast Guard Museum at the Academy, to preserve and display artifacts of
the early Coast Guard.

In June 1967, he assumed command of the Twelfth
Coast Guard District and Coast Guard Western Area, with offices in San
Francisco, CA. In the former position, he had responsibility for all Coast
Guard units in Northern California and most of Utah and Nevada as well
as areas In the Pacific. In the other assignment, he was the senior Coast
Guard officer in the Pacific and exercised certain operational controls
over Coast Guardcommands throughout that ocean.

On April 16, 1970, President Richard M. Nixon
nominated Chester R. Bender to be Commandant of the Coast Guard with the
four-star rank of Admiral. The Senate confirmed the nomination on April
30. Admiral Bender relieved Admiral Willard J. Smith as Commandant on June
1, 1970.

Admiral Bender retired as Commandant effective
June 1, 1974 after being relieved by Admiral Owen W. Siler, USCG at formal
change-of-command ceremonies held at the Washington Navy Yard May 31, 1974
The cutters USCGC EAGLE and USCGC INGHAM were brought in to participate.
Admiral Bender died on July 20, 1996 in Moraga, CA following a long illness.

As Commandant, Admiral Bender implemented significant
legislation that still stands. At his retirement ceremony, he was lauded
for outstanding contributions to the control of marine pollution in his
role as delegate and alternate chairman of the U. S. Delegation to the
Marine Pollution Conference of IMCO in 1973. He was also cited for management
of sensitive programs as the Coast Guard undertook new statutory responsibilities
in the areas of marine safety, environmental protection and law enforcement.
Admiral Bender, however, is best remembered for having established a distinctive
uniform for the Coast Guard, still known as the "Bender Blues."

AWARDS:

In addition to the Bronze Star Medal, Admiral
Benderís World War II campaign service medals and ribbons include: American
Area; American Defense; Asiatic- Pacific with two bronze stars (ribbon)
for participation in the Southern Philippine and Luzon campaigns; Philippine
Liberation with two bronze stars; Philippine Presidential Unit Citation;
World War II Victory Medal.

Other awards include the National Defense Service
Medal. On May 28, 1970, Admiral Bender was presented the Legion of Merit
by Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe in recognition of his services
in the last three tours of duty preceding his appointment as Commandant.
On October 13, 1972, Admiral Bender received the Distinguished Service
Medal from Secretary Volpe for exceptionally meritorious service in his
post as Commandant. He was presented a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Distinguished
Service Medal by Secretary of Transportation Claude S. Brinegar at change-of-command
ceremonies, May 31, 1974.